Middlesex



women .P. w.. BREWSTER- BUOYANT LIFE LINE.

No. 292,281,, Patented-'Jagz 18 84.

' throughout the length of the tubing, and close core protruding, keeping the core central of mation, admitting of the life-line being rolled made of anydesired length and diameter, and

FUNETE- 'r rrns ATENT Fries.

1 MIDDLESEX BUOYANT.

, ENGLAND.

LlFE-LINE.

SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,281, dated January 22, 1884.

4 Application filed October 15, 1833. (No model.) Patented in England May 10, 1883, No. 2,381.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Framers WENTWORTH Bnnwsrnn, of Bloomsbury, in the county of Middlesex, England, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, have invented certain Improvements in Buoyant Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of the present invention is a flexible buoyant life-line, life-coil, or device,

of such a flexible formation as will permit of its being quickly wound about the body, or about any article it is desired to render buoyant, or of its being thrown to aman overboard, and of being used as a means of keeping him afloat, and of raising or hauling him up the ships side.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of a portion of one form of my buoyant line, and Figs. 2 and 3 similar views of modifications.

The life-line or device may be made, as shown in Fig. l, by inclosing within a flexible. tubing, 1, isolated sections of a filling, 2, of roasted, carbonized, rasped, or Water-repellent cork,.or of other suitable pliant buoyant 1neans-such as what is known as elastic cott0nwith a flexible core or center, 3, of rope or cord or other like material, for affording any required strength. In the manufacture of this life-line I insert the core or center one end of the latter, leaving a length of the the tube. I then ram in the filling of buoyant material until I have filled the length of one section, and I then lash or tie the tubing round with wire or string, as at 4:, to isolate the section of filling from the next adjacent one; and I similarly proceed until the desired length of life-line (giving the appearance of a string of sausages) is completed. The sections may. be dividedoff at any suitable intervals apart, either by tying, twisting, stitching, eyeletting, or otherwise securely fastening the tubing across, so as to prevent the buoyant material, or the sect-ions thereof, from shifting, and to attain and preserve a th'oroughly-fiexible forfacilitate this I leave longer spaces between some of the sections than between others, for admitting of the device being completely doubled up in convenient lengths. The inclosing tubing may be made of water-proof material, but it is not essential that it should be. The protruding ends of the core serve as means for tying the life-line about the body of the wearer, and for. joining any de sired number of lengths of the life-line together.

In lieu of filling the buoyant material directly into flexible tubing, it may be filled into separate cases, envelopes, or cartridges 5, which may-then be inserted endwise into tubing 1, the cartridges being isolated and the desired flexibility attained by contracting and fastening the tubing across, as hereinbefore described, as shown in Fig. 2. This figure represents the formation of the life-line without a central core, andthis formation would be serviceable where less strength is required; but a continuous core maybe passed throughout the length of the line thus formed with cartridges. At convenient intervals apart the device may be provided with projecting ends 6, or other fastening means for securing the same in position about the body after being coiled. 4 When using solid means of buoyancy, as shown in Fig. 3, I do not need, though'I may use, an outer covering or tubing, as the fiexible lifeline may be made by threading a series of corks, 7, upon a core or center, knotting the latter between the sections, or placing small beads 8, of wood or cork, between them to obtain the necessary flexibility.

Any desired length of life-line may be made in one continuous length, or by permanently or detachably connecting separate buoyant sections or series thereof into a continuous life-line of any required length. \Vhen forming the life-line by filling soft or yielding buoy= ant material into the tubing, I prefer to make the line of short lengths for facility of ramming in the material, and I then tie or otherwise fasten lengths together by means of the protruding ends of core, or by'other fastening means.

or folded into a very small compass; and to Such improvedbuoyant devices, when made ICO of a convenient diameter, can be temporarily worn around the body under any ordinary outer garments during short passages at sea, or when otherwise on the water, and in case of emergency they will thus be available for their intended use without needing any attention.

I am aware that belts and other life-pre' servers have before been made to be strapped around particular parts of the person; but the peculiarity and special advantages of my present invention consist in the application of buoyant means to a flexible life-line device not made to fit or conform to any part of the person of the wearer, but in the form of a line or rope, capable of being grasped in the hand, and of being readily wound about any part of the wearer and fastened in position, i and which, when thrown to a man overboard, will float upon the surface of the water, and 3 when laid hold of by him will serve as a lifebuoy, and as a means of hauling him up the ships side. 1

in the hand, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS Wl-lN'lWORTlI BREWSTER.

\Vitnesses:

CHARLES AUBREY DAY, EDWARD HENRY LANGLEY. 

